Tools for Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates: Multimedia Versus Print

Trinity Health Of New England

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 3

Conditions: Colorectal Cancer

Treatments: Behavioral: Multimedia Education; Behavioral: Usual and customary waiting room process; Behavioral: Print Media

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01072851

0910001-E

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of multimedia and print tools designed to provide patients at safety-net clinics with comprehensible information about colorectal cancer screening and motivate them to complete screening.The print and multimedia interventions were constructed with parallel content to allow valid comparison of format-related effects on knowledge and screening rates.These easy to use tools will provide under served patients at community health centers with clear and consistent messages about colorectal Cancer(CRC) and CRC screening, delivered immediately before the patients see a doctor.

Specific Aims

1. To determine if multimedia and print interventions that provide patients with information and motivational messages about CRC screening increase screening rates above usual care.

2. Determine whether showing patients a multimedia program achieves higher CRC screening rates than does a print booklet with equivalent messages.

   1. Examine if the effects of these multimedia and print interventions on CRC screening rates differ with literacy level.
   2. Examine if the effects of these multimedia and print interventions on CRC screening differ with race/ethnicity
   3. Examine if these multimedia and print interventions have differential effects on knowledge relevant to CRC screening.

Full description

Despite the clear benefits of screening for early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer, as many as half of eligible adults remain unscreened. Poor and under served populations, particularly African American and Latino/Hispanic adults, are at greatest risk for noncompliance with recommended tests. Health education strategies developed to date have led to relatively minimal gains, resulting in little translation to routine clinical practice. This is especially true in more difficult, resource-strained practice settings, such as community health centers.

The interventions in the proposed study draw on communication science to optimize message design, use communication technology to optimize message delivery and include parallel content in both print and multimedia versions to allow comparison of format-related effects on both knowledge and screening rates.The multimedia and print tools are based on patient education programs that we developed with extensive attention to theory as well as community member input.

Enrollment: 920 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 50-80 years of age,
• Registered for an appointment at one of the target clinics,
• Speaks English or Spanish.

Exclusion criteria

• Patient has had CRC screening in the past 12 months,
• Unable to review the study materials because of language, physical condition or literacy.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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920 participants in 3 patient groups

Multimedia educational tool

Experimental group

Description:

Multimedia education tool - A culturally competent video explaining the importance of and the process of colorectal cancer screening

Treatment:

Behavioral: Multimedia Education

Print educational tool

Experimental group

Description:

Print media - A culturally competent printed brochure explaining the importance of and the process of colorectal cancer screening

Treatment:

Behavioral: Print Media

No intervention

Active Comparator group

Description:

Usual and customary waiting room process - Usual and customary office waiting period with access to standard nationally generated colorectal cancer screening informational material in the waiting room and/or exam room.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Usual and customary waiting room process